Island



c. B. SWASEY.\-.,

MACHINE FOR LOADING CARTRIDGES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-23. I918.

1,325,339. Patented Dec. 16,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I 0.3. SWASEY. MACHINE FOR LOADING CARTRIDGES.

APPLHZATION FILED SEPT-23. I913.

Patented Dec. 16,1919.

I 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 fliorn 6y,

C. B. SWASEY.

MACHINE FOR LOADING CARTRIDGES.

APPLICATION. FILED SEPT-23. 1918.

1,325,339. Patented Dec. 16,1919.

3 SHEETS-:SHEET 3- 1' i 54 g yj z x UNITED STLATIES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS B. SWASEY, or PRCVIDENCE, anonn ISLAND, ASSIGN'OR To FRANK GIROWLEY, or PAVJTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND.

MACHINE non LGADING CARTRIDGES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pathted'DeC, 16,1919,

Application 'filed. September 23,1918. Serial No. 255,27?

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CORNELIUS B. Swasnr,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Loading Cartridges, of which thefollowing'is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for loading cartridges, andparticularly to the means for delivering the shells and bullets to theloading mechanism thereof.

The essential objects of my invention are to deliver the shells andbullets with speed and without jamming or denting; to insure that theshells and the bullets shall be delivered with their heads and bluntends respectively downward; and to attain these ends in a simplyoperable and inexpensive mechanism.

To the above ends essentially my inven tion consists in such parts asfall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification-Figure 1 is a front elevation of so much of the frame'of a cartridgeloading'inachine as is directly pertinent to the embodiment of myinvention thereon mounted; the usual dial or dials for receiving andconveying the shells and bullets together with the mechanism foroperating the same being omitted,

Fig. 2-, a front elevation of the shell drum and adjacent parts,

Fig. 3, a transverse section of the same,

Fig. 4:, a section on line 44 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5,a section on line of Fig. 4:,

Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9, views of the bullet drum and adjacent parts,corresponding re spectively to Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the views.

The frame work of my machine may be of any construction best adapted tosupport my novel feeding mechanism.

In the form thereof herein shown it comprises the table 12 forsupporting the dials and shell loading apparatus, said table beingcarried by supports 13 in which are journaled the main shaft 15 drivenin any usual manner from a convenient source of power. Brackets 17 uponthe ends of the table have bearings 18 in which is journaled a shaft 19.

From a wheel or pulley 20 on shaft 15 extends a belt 21 to a wheel 22 onshaft 19 for driving the latter. Upon opposite sides of the bracketsare. cross pieces 23 upon which are vertical arms 24: and 25 fast tohoppers 26 and 27 respectively.

The shell'hopper 26 has an end wall 29 provided with a verticallydisposed $101180 to loosely admit the shaft 19, also side walls 31. anda downwardly inclined bottoin wall 32. The top and'inner end ofthe'hopper are open.

The bullet hopper 27 is of similar construction, comprising the end wall34 with slot 35, side walls '36, and bottom wall'37.

Fast to the driven shaft 19 is a shell drun'r rim 4A and adjacent to theopen end of the hopper. The rim ll is provided with a serles ofopenings. Each opening comprlses an oblong slot 52, disposedtransversely of the drum, with laterally enlarged portions 53 atbothends. The resultant cross bars 54 formed by the slots have internallydirected broad teeth 55 extending the length of the bars comprisinginclined forward faces 56 and inclined rear faces 57 provided withintermediate shouldered portions58.

A curved shield 60 slidably embracesthe rim is. and is supported'uponthe bars 23 by screws 61 or. otherwise. A flat funnel 63 is soldered orotherwise fixed to one end of the shield so that its open top is incontact with or adjacent the rim. This shield comprises parallel frontand back walls 64 and 65 and inclined side walls 66. The top margin ofthe wall is cut away to form an open slot 68. Midway the width of thefunnel 63 is a transverse pin fast in the front and back walls; andimmediately below this pin is a vertical transversely disposed plate 1also fast to said walls, forming a partition.

The empty cartridge shells 73 are introduced in quantity into the top ofthe hopper 26 whence they drop into the lower part of the drum 39 whichis moving in the direction of the arrow as shown in Fig. 4c. Theinclined teeth 55 select and elevate the shells to a plane somewhatabove the axis of the drum and above the end of the shield 60. Theabsence of the shield at this point permits the shells to successivelyfall by gravity through the inclined slots 5:2 and 68 into the funnel63. In falling each shell strikes an intermediate portion against thepin 70 which trips it so that thehead of the shell is swung downwardly.The partition 71 prevents a complete oscillation or reversal of theshell, but insures the descent of the shell head downwardly, as shown inFig. 5, into the conductor H which leads to or adjacent the table 12 orthe loading dial thereon. In the first instance the shells are largelymassed in the bottom of the drum, and the teeth together with themomentum of the drum carry a superfluityof the shells to the upperportion of the drum, whence they fall into the cavities between theteeth of the member l9 which serves to distribute the shells moregenerally.

A bullet drum 78 is mounted fast to the shaft 19 and is similar indetail to the shell drum except in the shape of its peripheral slots. Itcomprises a hub 80, wall 81, inclined portion 82, rim 83 and inclinedflange 84, surroumlingopening 85. The circular distributer 87 with itsteeth 88 is fastened to the wall by screws 89. The rim 83 has a seriesof transverse oblong slots 91 forming cross bars 92, with teeth 93having inclined faces 9% and 95 on opposite sides. The latter faces areprovided with longitudinal shoulders 97.

A shield 99, attached by screws 100 to bars 23 embraces the bottom ofthe drum. The bullet funnel 108 is similar in detail to the shell funneland is attached likewise to the shield 99. It comprises the front andback walls 10% and 105, side walls 107, and marginal slot 108, togetherwith the transverse pin 110 and partition 111. A tube 113 leads from thefunnel to the head of the machine or loading dial thereon.

The operations of feeding bullets 115 are those already described inconnection with the feeding of shells.

An important feature of this construction is the wooden distributers 87and 19 whereby the superfluous falling articles strike a wooden surfacea short distance below, thus shortening the distance of the fall andpreventing bruising of the articles.

Any suitable arrangement of dial and shell loading means may beemployed, for instance, such as shown in the patent to ,Macomber, No.1,282,610, October 22, 1918.

1. In a loading machine, the combination of a rotary drum provided witha series of peripheral slots, internal inclined teeth upon the drumbetween the slots and parallel therewith, a distributer fast to drum andconcentric therewith, inclined peripheral teeth upon the distributor inthe plane of the first mentioned teeth, and a funnel engaging theperiphery of the drum.

In a loading machine, the combination of a hollow drum provided with anopen side and with a peripheral series of slots, a series of inclinedteeth in the drum intermediate the slots, a distributer fast to the drumconcentric with the series of teeth, and a stationary hopper registeringwith the opening in the drum.

3. In a loading machine, the combination of rotary drum provided with aseries of peripheral slots, internal inclined teeth upon the drumbetween the slots and parallel therewith, a distributor in the drum andconcentric therewith, and peripheral teeth upon the distributer in theplane of the first-mentioned teeth.

4-. In a loading machine, the combination of a hollow drum provided witha peripheral series of slots, a series of inclined teeth in the drumintermediate the slots, and a distributer in the drum concentric withsaid series of teeth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

CORNELIUS B. SWASEY.

